A Black Belt Pilgrimage

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Spiritual Core Strength (Sabonim Says Revisited)

Today’s Zero to Hero assignment from the Word Press inspiration bank was to write a post about what were your thoughts when you started blogging. The post below was published in 2010. When I started this blog, I was thinking about how, while practicing my writing, I could: (1) make connections; (2) inspire others to explore martial arts; and primarily (3) rephrase my challenges and setbacks in a positive way. (Which is what has become bursts of fiction and poetry.)

Occasionally someone will tell me that a post has nothing to do with martial arts. But of course, it does. My Sabonim says that we are not just martial artists in the dojang, but everywhere. It’s the new year and we’ve been emphasizing our physical core in class. I like to think of writing as an exercise improving my spiritual core.

Sabonim Sayssabonim-a Korean term and title signifying a master level martial arts teacher/instructor

We play this game with our grade school students, a modified Simon Says, to encourage focus, concentration and listening skills. I wonder sometimes how long the adult students (myself included) would last.

They are all abilities, that as adults, we are expected to have acquired.

Yet my mind wanders.

“There is always room for improvement.” my Sabonim says.

I hate that. Would prefer to be better than good enough right now.

But part of what we learn is that we are always and at the same time good enough and getting better.